Alfalfa-cultivator.



CrE. WHITE.

ALFALFA CULTIVATOH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. 19]]! Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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ALFALFA CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0. I91!- LQQU %%H Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ALFALFA CULTIVATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY I0, 19H.

Patented Jan. '7, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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ALFALFA CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. I911.

Patented Jan. "1, 1.919. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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OFFICE.

& MANSUR COMPANY,

, AnrALrA-cuLrrvAron.

To all whom-it concern: I

Be it known that I, Creams E. Warm a citizen of the United States, residing at' tion, reference being bad therein to the acmachine and adjusted to VaIlOUQPOSltIOIIS. 99

Moline, in the county ofRock Island-and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alfalfa-Cultiva tors, of which the followingis a specificacompanying drawing.

lhis invention relates to improvements in cultivators' of the type especially intended and adapted for the renovation of alfalfa. One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means for controlling the movement of the teeth. Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the rear and showing the teeth in operative positions.

Fig. '2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the teethjn elevated positions.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view takenfrom the front. t

F ig. 4 is a side elevation with the extreme positions of the teeth shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the teeth and associated partsdetachedfrpmthe Fi (i is a diagrammatic plan view show-' ing't e action of the teeth when in engagement with alfalfaroots. A

r Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear end view of the machine in operation in an alfalfa field, the ground being shown in cross section.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of one of the connections for controlling the tooth-bars.

Referring to the drawings,v 1, 1 represent the two main supporting wheels which are connected to the main axle 2. 3 is a main transverse frame bar preferably formed of a single angle iron. This bar 3 is connected at its ends to bearings 4, 4, which are 7 mounted upon the axle 2 near its ends. The bar?) is provided with other bearings 5, 5, also mounted upon the shaft 2.

6 re resents th draft tongue which is se are at its rear end to the cross bar 8 Th seat 7 is mounted upon the rear end of the tongue by means of asuitable support 8.

9 represents the cross barof a sub-frame.

I This cross bar is connected at its ends to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1911. SerialNo. 626,227.

the braces 19,10, which extend upward and Patented J n. 7, 1919..

backward and are connected to the ends of the-cross bar 3. Forward extending braces 11, 11 are provided between the bar '9 and the tongue.

the crossbar 3, and between the cross bar'9 ra'ndthe end braces 10, 10. At the center secured to the tongue. A king bolt 15 and a hammer stra 16 are secured to the bar 14 for the attachment of a whifiletree.

17 is a cross pivot shaft secured to the sub-frame of the machine parallel to the Other braces 12, 12, and 13,v 13 are provided between the cross bar 9 and cross bar 9. The ends of this shaft are mounted on the braces 10, 10, and the brackets 18 are provided for supporting the shaft intermediate its ends. 19, 19 and 20,

20 represent twoseries of tooth bars, the

bars of one series being alternately arranged relative to those ofthe-other. At the forward end of each of the bars there are provided twoseparated forks which may be formed by bolting on separate pieces 21, 21. on the pivot bars These forks are mounted 17 by means of suitable pivot apertures. The forks are-spread sufiiciently so that the adjacent forks of adjacent bars engage each' other to hold the-bars in proper spaced relation.

The bars 19, 19 and 20. 20 are curved downward at their rear ends and carry the rounded teeth 22, 22. Each, of these teeth 22 is concave toward the rear in vertical longitudinal planes, and is convex toward the front in horizontal planes. Each tooth is pointed at the bottom and at the top. so that it may be reversed when one end has become worn. It will be observed that the bars 19, 19 are longer than the bars 20, 20 withthe result that the teeth 22, 22 are held in staggered relation to each other in two separate transverse rows.

23 is a rock shaftmounted on the frame bar 3-1oy means of bearings 24,24. 25, 25

forked and between the forks of each lever rods 27, 27, each of which is provided with r a head 28 at its upper end. The lower end of each of the bars 27 is pivotally connected to the rear part of one of the bars 19, 19 or Coil springs 29, 29 surround the bars 27, 27, and engage at their upper ends with the yokes26, 26.

30 is a controlling lever secured to the rock shaft 23. 31 is a notched segment adapted to be engaged by a latch controlled detent on the lever 30 for locking the rock shaft '23 in adjusted position. I

32 is an arm on the rock shaft extending in the reverse direction from the levers 25, 25. To the forward end of this arm 32 is connected the tension coil spring 33, the forward end of which is connected to the cross bar 9 by means of a threaded rod 34 and a nut 35. I

As is most clearly shown. in Fig. 4, the points of connection be ween the bars 27 and the'tooth bars 19 are farther toward the rear than are the points of bonnection.

between the bars 27 and the tooth bars 20.

. For any given'movement of the rock shaft 23, the upper'ends of all of thebars 27 will be moved the same amount. It is,.however,'

desirable that all of the teeth 22 be moved through the same vertical distance. On account of the different lengths of the bars 19,

,19 and 20, 20, this similarity of vertical movement would not beobtained if the bars were all connected to move through the same angle. However,-by connecting the bars 27,

27 to the shorter bars 20, 20 at points nearer their pivots, I obtain a substantially uniform vertical movement of all of the teethz 36 is a transverse. cleaner frame bar which is connected to forward extending bars 37,

These forward bars are' 'pivotally mounted on brackets 38, 38 which depend from the forward transverse bar 9. Cleaner fingers39, 39 extend rearward from the bar 36. These fingers 39, 39 are so spaced that each 0 them extends between a pair of teeth. The cleaner frame is supported by means of links'40, 40 which are connected at their lower ends to the bars 37, 37, and which at their upper ends extend through the top flange of the angle bar 3. The up per endslof'the links 40, 40 are held by means of cotter pins. Coil springs 41, 41 surrounding the llnks 40 are secured at their lower ends to the links and at their upper ends engage with the under surface'of the top flange of the bar 3. These connections for the cleaner; frame serve to limit its downward movement and to resiliently hold 1t against upward movement.

In operation, the teeth are adjusted to the desired working depth by means of the hand lever 30. They are resiliently held at this depth by means of the springs 29 but are free to move against the action of the sprin s in case unusual obstructions are met wit 1. It will be understood that as the teeth rise against the influence of the springs, the rods 27, 27 slide freely in the yokes 26, 26. When it is desired to lift the teeth out of operative positions, the hand lever 30 is thrown forward and the parts-are moved to the positions shown in Fig. 2 and by'the upper dotted lines of'Fig. 4. As the teeth move upward past the cleaner fingers 39, any fibrous material that may have accumulated on them is removed.

of the tooth when consideration is given to v the lines of forward travel and to the points on the roots of the plants Where cutting or piercing would be effected. In this re spect the teeth differ from the corresponding parts in ordinary cultivators. In the latter the teeth are mainly and primarily for the purpose of cutting, laterally, or piercing, longitudinally, the roots of weeds, grasses, or the like, there being no intention that they shall even contact with the roots of the plants that are tobe cultivated, and distinct provision being made that such contact shall be avoided.

In my mechanism the contact of the tooth element with the roots or stalks of the plant is not wholly unavoidable, but is intended. To meet such purposes it is of peculiar shape, and, as before stated, there is no penetrating point element and no lateral eutting part. While the very foremost pro ecting part may bereferred to as sharp, it is only properly so described when compared with the wide edged earth-working tools. In comparison with the points of ordinary cultivator teeth,it is, as shown in Fig. 6,

rounded so thatit will not penetrate any in order that the bark or dead surface por-- tion'pf the plant can be removed and the living skin portion exposed, this renewing and maintaining the growth of the plant.

The grasses, weeds and other foreign plants that are impinged on by the teeth are pulled out of the ground, their roots having much less hold upon it than the roots or stalks of the alfalfa.

in a plane at right angles to the length lines of the tooth, be taken,,that both surfaces of the tooth are on short, approximately circular, curves, that is, upon curves de scribed upon very short radii; and that the tooth elements proper are fitted tightly around the narrow, downwardly extended parts of the draw bar shanks, so that the teeth are each very narrow and relatively arranged as above described, so that they present to all lines of advance of the machine smooth surfaces or edges which, as

above set forth, do not act to pierce or cut.

the alfalfa roots.

It will be further understood that this, of itself, is intimately related with the devices which mount, and support, and permit, the yielding of these teeth. As they cannot pierce or cut they are necessarily pressed laterally, and to permit this in such way as to avoid evil results to the plants they are mounted in the way described.

One of the purposes of the present devices is to avoid the forming of wide furrows in the earth or to displace it to any material extent; hence, the tools are not wide or shovel-like, or fiat, as has been common. As remarked, they are limited in width as much as possible and rounded so that instead of displa ing the earth'they leave it largelv in its initial condition after stirring it and tearing up the shallow-rooted weeds, grass, or the like.

I am aware that in cultivator implements as heretofore made use has been made of shovels arranged in two transverse rows carried by drag bars which are held in position rigidly both as to their downward and their upward movements; thev being placed in two transverse rows for the purpose of pre-: venting the vbanking up of the earth such as would occur if they were all placed close together and on one transverse line. 1 arrangethe rounded teeth of my construction in two transverse rows which are a considerable distance apart. Those of each row are respe tively carried by long drag bars, though the bars of the front row are considerably shorter than those of the rear row.

The bars of each row are adapted, as above used in which wide blades were carried by drag bars that were pressed in one direction by springs. But, as already noted, the drag bars in my construction are-more or less free to swing in either direction so as to pass around any roots with which they may contact, although normally held to a predetermined line, and this pla to the right or the left may be provided in any devices now known to the builders of such machines.

What I claim is 1. In a cultivator, the combination with a frame, of two series of parallel tooth bars pivotally connected at their forward ends to the frame along one transverse line, the bars of one series being longer than those of the other and arranged alternately relatively thereto, soil working teeth at the rear ends of the bars, links of uniform length for all the bars, and connected one to each bar, the connections for the shorter bars being closer to the points of pivotal connection than those for the longer bars, said bars being adapted to hold the teeth normally in predetermined working positions but to'yield laterally in either direction to permit the teeth to pass around stalks or roots, manually controllable means simultaneously engaging all of the links to limit their downward movement or to move them upward through substantially equal distances, and a spring for each link for yieldingly holding the bars at their lowermost limits.

2. In an alfalfa cultivator, the combination of a wheeled frame, a transverse series cally as an integerrigid from end to end around the front hinge axis independently of the other working units and adapted to permit the tooth to be deflected laterally in either direction independently of the other teeth and to automatically return the tooth in either direction to normal working line after deflection, said tooth being transversely narrow and having its edge portions turned backward to non-cutting positions, yielding means for holding down each working unit but permitting it to rise indefinitely independen ly of the other units, and means for manually and positively liftingall of the working units simultaneously.

3. In an alfalfa cultivator, the combination with the wheeled frame, of a transverse series of parallel tooth bars hing'edat their forward ends to the frame by pivot attachments and bent downward at their rear ends, the said bars and their attachments respectively being adapted to permit the rear end of each bar to be independently automatically and relatively easily deflected laterally in either direction out of predetermined normal position and to independently return said'rear ends respectively in either direction to said normal positions, and soilworking and plant-engaging teeth connected to said bars respectively at their rear ends, each tooth being transversely narrow and havin its front lower side edge portions turne backward to bring the edges to a non-cutting position and the extreme part being shaped to impinge upon but not penetrate or cut the roots being cultivated.

4:. In an alfalfa cultivator, the combination with a wheeled frame having a transversely arranged pivot rod, of a transverse series of parallel tooth bars hinged at their forward ends on the said pivot rod and each bent downward at its rear end, the said bars and their attachments being respectively adapted to permit the rear end of each bar to be independently automatically and relatively easily deflected laterally in either direction out of predetermined normal working position and to independently return sald rear ends respectively in either direction to said normal position, a series of vibratable bar-lifting arms arranged in a transverse series one above each tooth bar, a series of links each pivoted to the rear part of a tooth bar and slidably joined by a rocking connection to one of said lifting arms, means for locking said lifting arms in predetermined positlons, a spring interposed between each of the lifting arms and its tooth bar, and teeth substantially as described rigidlysecured to the rear ends of the tooth bars, all of said arts being arranged as set forth to permit each tooth to rise upwardly independently of the others around the said front pivot and against the action of its spring, and means for moving all of said lifting arms simultaneously to I uniformly elevate all of the teeth.

-5. In an alfalfa cultivator, the combination of the wheeled frame, two transverse rows of teeth, each tooth being shaped substantially as set forth, to be transversely narrow and rounded and have its side edges turned backward to non-cutting positions whereby each is provided with a soil-entering part adapted to bear laterally against stalks or roots without cutting them, two series of drag bars, those of one series being longer than and alternating with the bars of the other series, each bar being turned downward at its rear end and connected to one of said teeth and having a relatively elongated forwardly-extending horizontal bar, and connecting devices joining the forward end of each bar to the frame adapted to permit the tooth and the rear end of the bar under relatively low predetermined lateral pressure to swing in vertical parallel- -ism in either direction away from a normal central working position, and adapted to hold a tooth in said working position until the limit of said pressure is reached, and to return the tooth'to said working position after said lateral swinging.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. WHITE. Witnesses:

OSCAR F. LUNDAHL, ROBERT M. ADAMS. 

